Swamp Light

Well, well, well. Ain't this a sight to see? There's all sorta goodies here, all thanks to that big dragon flyin' around yesterday.

Junk as far as the eye can see. Treasures as much as the hands can keep. I can feel the ol' purse growin' by the minute.

I'm glad you're enjoying this, but I hope you don't expect me to help you carry all this...

Come on, friend. We're a team! Remember when we went avengin'? You even helped me do some live sales!

I remember the first part, but I don't think I've ever helped you sell anything? But...I guess we are on the same team...

Hey! There ya are!

I swear, ya don't make yourself easy to find I tell ya what. Glad I finally did though.

Now aren't you just a sight for sore eyes? How ya been, friend?

Heh, you know how it is. Happy to see you're still doin' all right.

(Woah, someone who actually likes Kuchinawa? This is new.)

Well, don't wanna keep ya too long so lemme just cut to the chase. Ya mind hookin' me up with the regular?

You bet, friend. I'll get right on it for ya.

Thanks. I'll come get it when it's ready.

...What? No sales pitch? No sleazy "step right up"? ...Huh?

Stop lookin' like a rat just stole yer lunch, friend. And why ya always gotta bring me down like that?

Anyway, we gots an order to fill. Let's go.

Go...where?

Jussa little bit up ahead. Got some ingredients I need to pick up.

That man was one of my most important customers, so I gotta make sure to do right by 'em.

Um...Kuchinawa?!

So, about these ingredients. What are they for?

It's for one of my best sellin' items. Ain't nothin' flashy about it though. A little different than what I usually sell.

And the first ingredient should be...

There we go.

This leaf right here. Smells real, real good....

......

You okay? You're just kinda staring at it.

Hoo. You're right. You see somethin' about this leaf. Folks like me just can't get enough of the scent.

So, uh, what do you make with it?

Aren't you just a curious little kitty.

It's for a scented light. We're makin' candle powder, ya see. Light a fire and it burns real good.

A light? That's....not what I expected at all... It's so...normal?

I get it. It's a light with some kind of special something to it, right?!

Nope. Not in the way you're thinkin', anyway.

Well, now we gotta go get the most important piece of the puzzle. It's gonna take a bit a walkin' so make sure to keep up.

Goin' by which direction the wind was blowin' yesterday, should find what we're lookin' for right around here...

But what are we looking for?

There we go...

This is it, friend.

Um...

Kuchinawa, this is...

First time seein' it huh, friend?

This here's what we call a snake grave. Happens when one of the bigger folks down here flys by from up above.

The pressure from just one flap of those wings is enough to do all this right here.

A snake...grave...

The little guys you see here are little dirt snakes. Ain't nothin' weaker than a dirt snake down here.

And so I take these guys and....

Bury them?

No?

We got an order to fill, remember? That's what we're usin' 'em for.

They're the last ingredient.

Seriously?! You mean to tell me you brought me here to pick up dead snakes so you can use them as ingredients?!

Yup. That's why we're here.

These guys burn real good. It's the oil they got on em.

Yeah but...this...this is grave robbing!

And...aren't you a snake too?! Don't you care about that?

Well, yeah. They are, you're right about that...

Hm? Now ain't this a rare sight to see. We got ourselves a survivor.

Not every day you see one of them. Don't worry little fella. We ain't here to finish the job on ya. Go on...

Ya might be able to live just a little longer if ya stay down here...

C'mon friend. We got what we need, so why don't we head on back the way we came...

Oh?

...Would ya look at that...

This little guy has a little of what we like to call gumption. Don't get it twisted, though. It's mostly just his instinct talkin'... But these little guys don't typically know how to think for themselves or nothin'. They barely have a brain at all. More form than function, if ya get my drift.

Really? But what about you?

Ah well, I'm uh...

Let's not talk about me. Meetin' this little fella feels like fate. And, well, he seems up to it. So why don't we take 'em along with us.

Take him where?

A place with a view.

He seems like he wants to go, so I think we should help the little guy out. Come on now, it's a bit of a walk...

Hey, Kuchinawa?

Wouldn't it be better if we carried him? This is a lot of walking for someone so tiny...

Hmmm...

Nah. I think walkin's good.

This is the kinda thing where it just hits different if ya make it there yerself, ya know? This way it, uh...

What?

Nevermind.

C'mon, friend. Almost there! Don't worry, I got all the time in the world for ya, so if ya wanna take it slow, we'll take it slow.

Now how are we supposed to get past that?

Well, he doesn't seem like an unreasonable type...

But uh... how about we just take the long road...

......

Ya know what. Not today. We should ask 'em to move.

Sorry, friend. Ya mind steppin aside for some folks just tryin' to get by?

Heh, prolly nothin' more than a bee sting to a guy that big.

Let's get goin'. The road's wide open now.

You okay? Let me know if this gets to be too much.

Heh.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news for ya, friend. But he don't speak no words, nor does he understand em.

I mean. I know, but...

Heh...

Come on now, we still gotta ways to go...

Right...

Well, we're here.

Go on, take a look now.

......

...Heh. Is that so? Well, all right. Seems like it was worth the trip then, huh.

Now that's done how about we mosey on?

We're not taking him with us?

Nope, he's stayin' here...

Cause you see, he's already gone.

He's what?

Folks like us, we don't got strong bodies.

Survivin' that wind yesterday was a miracle in and of itself, you know?

Our little friend used up the rest of the life he had in 'em to get here. To see all this.

B-But...

Don't look so down...

I was just like that little guy. Small, weak. Ain't knowin' or speakin' any kinda words. Just a feather-light life hangin' on for dear.

Now I'm the walkin' talkin' son of a gun you see peddlin' junk. But I'm only here cause for some crazy reason I made it just a little longer than all the other dirt snakes. It's been, what, 100,000 years now? All 'cause I was a little luckier, and a little stronger.

Did you say 100,000 years?!

You've heard about the war between the light and dark realms haven't ya? I was around for all that.

I wasn't the good lookin' peddler I am now. And I don't really remember much... But back then, the dark realm was full of places like that snake grave we were just at.

And those graves had a lot more bodies in 'em. I'll tell ya that much.

No strength to survive, and too weak to live. Just one little flap of the wing was all it took...

......

That said... It's not like I'm out for revenge against those big guys. Not at all, in fact.

Why not? So many of your brothers and sisters died, for what?

Well, that's war for ya. Isn't it? I think it's stupid.

But I don't think what they were doin' was evil. And listen. Those punks from before, the Wyrmking himself. I don't like those folks. Not one bit.

But there's more to it...

I guess I just believe that it's the natural way of things. The strong have to be strong. It's just how it is.

And when your life ain't nothin' but countin' the seconds till yer last, and your death matters to absolutely no one...

Lookin' up at those big guys with their beautiful wings and all... I can't help but be in awe, ya know? This here's a world where you gotta be strong, but it's a world you gotta survive on yer own. Life ain't guaranteed here. But even the smallest of us find a way to make it. That's the Darkrealm.

Kuchinawa...

I know what you're thinkin... I don't want you to hate this place. Not all of us are like the Wyrmking. There's a lot of beauty to behold down here.

Just look at how beautiful this view is...

...Yeah...

You're right... It is beautiful.

Are you going to use him for the light?

Nope. He's gonna stay right here.

The snakes I'm usin' to make the light are...

They're my brothers and sisters who no one thought to take a second look at. The ones that didn't get to see beauty. So I wanna turn the little life they lived into a soft and gentle light... This little guy though, he got to see the beauty in the world.

So he gets to see it for as long as he wants.

...Yeah.

Well, we should be headin' back. Can't keep a customer waitin'.

Nice meetin' ya. Little guy...

Well, did ya like what ya saw?

...Glad to hear it.

All right, here's what ya ordered...

Thanks, man!

Mmm... It does smell good, doesn't it? I'll make sure to use it well.

It was my pleasure, friend.

I'll come find you once I need some more.

Sure thing. I'm available whenever ya need me.

Another happy customer, huh?

You okay with him not paying you for it, though?

Yeah, this one's on the house. One of those secret menu kinda deals anyway.

Besides, I get somethin' out of it a lot more valuable than a few coins.

I see...

(Seems like I had the wrong idea about Kuchinawa...)

(By a lot...)

Now that's outta the way. Say, friend...

Speakin' of not gettin paid, well, these pockets are feelin' just as empty as this heart of mine at the moment. You know what'd warm 'em up? A good friend who, out of the kindness of their heart, is willin' to clear out my stock! Whaddaya say? Let me at least show ya the deal of the day, it's a...

Not gonna work, Kuchinawa.

Not interested? Well how about...

I didn't mean the thing you're selling.

Yeah?

I've got this place I wanna show you. It's got this beautiful view...

Well, well...

Look at me. I got runts that wouldn't even be as old as a great, great, great grandkid feelin' sorry for me. You wanna take gramps out to see somethin' special, huh? I dunno...

I'm not gonna join in on your bit, Kuchinawa.

All right.

Say, Aldo.

I'm expectin' a lot out of this place. You better make sure it lives up.

Heh. All right then, let's go.